Pensacola Blue Wahoos catcher Ross Perez has caught hundreds of ceremonial first pitches during his professional career.

None of them, though, was anything like tonight's toss.

Perez, a 24-year-old native of Guarenas, Venezuela, was surprised by his father, Santiago Perez, before Thursday's game against the Jacksonville Suns.

"I couldn't believe it," Ross Perez said of seeing his father. "The clubby (clubhouse attendant) told me before the game I had to catch first pitch, and I was like, 'Why? I'm catching the game, so this is crazy, I can't.' And he said, no, you have to. I was like mad because I have to do my routine before the game. But when I saw him walking to the field, I was like, oh my God, that's why they wanted me to catch the first pitch."

The elder Perez, who had never had seen his son play a professional baseball game, hid beneath the stadium's concourse until it was time to surprise Ross on the field.

"I felt a knot in my heart. I wanted to cry," he said about reuniting with his son. "I just wanted to hug him. I didn't know what to do."

Santiago Perez then strolled to the mound and threw a strike to his son before embracing him again and settling into the stands to watch the game.

Ross Perez has been playing Minor League Baseball for nine seasons and is having one of the best seasons of his career with a .328 batting average in his first season in the Cincinnati Reds organization. He said his dad always wanted to come see him play but it seemed out of reach.

"Just distance. He lives in Venezuela, so it's really hard for him to come over here and watch us play," Ross said. "This was a big opportunity to bring him here because my girlfriend (Smirna Flores) helped him get here. It was just a big surprise for me."

Flores helped plan Santiago's trip and decided to make it a surprise.

"He told me he was going to come and visit his son, and he wanted me to plan things out so he could surprise his son. (Rossmel) didn't know anything," Flores said. "They got here Saturday (while the Blue Wahoos were on their road trip), and the Wahoos got back yesterday, so we got him a hotel so Rossmel wouldn't see him at the house."

Santiago Perez jokingly said he wasn't nervous at all as he prepared to throw out the pitch. His emotions were different after the moment with his son.

"This is the first time to do something like that with my son," Santiago said. "It was really emotional for me."

Pensacola Blue Wahoos catcher Rossmel Perez gets a hug from his father Santiago on Thursday as part of a surprise visit to watch his son play professional baseball. Santiago threw out the first pitch of the game against the Jacksonville Suns. (Photo: Ben Twingley/btwingley@pnj.com)

Santiago Perez throws out a ceremonial first pitch to his son, Pensacola Blue Wahoos catcher Rossmel Perez, on Thursday as part of a surprise visit before a game against the Jacksonville Suns. (Photo: Ben Twingley/btwingley@pnj.com)

Pensacola Blue Wahoos catcher Rossmel Perez gets a surprise visit from his father Santiago and brother Ronald on Thursday before a game against the Jacksonville Suns. (Photo: Ben Twingley/btwingley@pnj.com)

Pensacola Blue Wahoos catcher Rossmel Perez gets a surprise visit from his father Santiago and brother Ronald next to his girlfirend Smirna Florez on Thursday before a game against the Jacksonville Suns. (Photo: Ben Twingley/btwingley@pnj.com)

Pensacola Blue Wahoos catcher Rossmel Perez gets ready to catch ceremonial first pitches Thursday before a game against the Jacksonville Suns. One of the guest pitchers was his father, Santiago, who made a surprise appearance. (Photo: Ben Twingley/btwingley@pnj.com)

Pensacola Blue Wahoos catcher Rossmel Perez gets a hug from his father Santiago on Thursday as part of a surprise visit to watch his son play professional baseball. Santiago threw out the first pitch of the game against the Jacksonville Suns. (Photo: Ben Twingley/btwingley@pnj.com)

Santiago Perez enters the field as a surprise visit to throw out the first pitch and watch his son, Pensacola Blue Wahoos catcher Rossmel Perez, play the Jacksonville Sunson on Thursday at Blue Wahoos Stadium. (Photo: Ben Twingley/btwingley@pnj.com)